BEIRUT -- Sorry for the weekend silence. I meant to write yesterday, but with the events in Qana and the riot/demonstration in Beirut, as well as me running around trying to find a driver and a way to file when I'm down in Tyre, time got away from me. I also, sorry to say, had to take a little break.
Beirut is split and strange. I have no real data on this, but after a week away from Beirut, it feels like it's whistling past the graveyard. The city is full of refugees from the south and Dahiyeh, but it's not been hit in sevveral days. (This is before the 48-hour cease fire has gone into effect.) On my street, which is normally very quiet, by early evening, there are dozens of people I've never seen before hanging out on balconies, milling about in the street. Children are much more common as are women dressed in conservative hijabs. The south has come to the city, and the city has gone to the mountains. Beirut has become much more Shi'ite in the past three weeks.
The infrastructure situation is iffy. Internet is iffy, power is dominated by rolling blackouts. We still have water and taxis are still running. I hear there's still a bit of night-life, but I was only here for two days and didn't feel much like going out.
My week in the south was instructive. Most roads south of Tyre are free-fire zones. People are dying every day and Lebanese Red Cross can't get to the bodies. The massacre in Qana was one of the most horrible things I've ever seen but if this cease-fire doesn't hold, we may see more of these things.
Some recent stories:
* A piece on the growing anti-Americanism in Lebanon
* An analysis of the political map in Beiriut -- and what Siniora must do
I head back to Tyre today after I buy a new laptop that will work with my sat phone to file. With a 48-hour window to move without air strikes, this is an opportunity to see get to some of these villages that we've not been able to get to.
Keep posting!
The wingnuts are rallying behind a “Qana was staged” meme.
What would you tell them?
Hey there,
Been reading your blog for a while, and the one question that’s been bugging me is: In the vein of anti-American sentiment, are the Lebanese aware of the number of people in the States who are against this whole affair? I mean, I’m sure people think there are a -few- Americans who are against it, but do they know that it’s bigger than that?
Excellent point, Phil Lamb.
Even my parents friends’ think that Israel should lay off.
I’m sure the people on the ground in Lebanon couldn’t give a rat’s ass what the peace & love contingent in America think. America gives Israel billions in Foreign Million Financing which is currently being used to bomb the shit out of what Israel sees as Hezbollah strongholds.
American liberals can boo hoo all they like about what Israel’s aggression but don’t expect the Lebanese to care. We’re the ones who have drawn the line and consistently demonstrated that Americans and Lebanese are on opposite sides!
Hezbollah uses people as human shields. There are bound to be a “massacre” or two. It’s just good PR for Hezbollah and they couldn’t care less. Fire some rockets from a house filled with kids, they kids will be likely be killed. Not the fault of Israel they need to defend themselves.
You armchair boo-hooers would likely change your tune if rockets were being fired to your town.
it is highly unlikely that rockets were fired from qana towards haifa, as olmert claims. simply because qana is not close enough for hizballah’s crappy old rockets to hit haifa from there.
It was not a cease-fire it eas a “halt” and it was broken within hours. Another Israeli lie. Add it to the long list.
The “Hezbollah is using civilians as shields” is old and tired. Where is the evidence? This is the excuse use by liars and criminals, people are not stupid, they don’t buy such crap!
What’s really going on here? One Israeli soldier gets kidnapped in Gaza and the next thing we hear that bombs are falling on Beirut and southern Lebanon and there are more than 500 dead? BOTH SIDES are clearly wrong and there are a lot of cynical people in Iran, Syria, Hezbollah AND in the Israeli government. It seems nobody really cares about the dead. It appears they are just a sideshow. And where is the U.N.? If it can’t intervene in this conflict then it’s probably not good for much of anything.
http/hrw.org/ Interesting reports about the targeting of civilians and the use of human shields.
What kind of a reporter are you, if you ignore the fact that the hyzbolla has the reporters’ passports, and therefore the world doesn’t get any clear view about this war? you are all under terror and the only real reporter is Palmer. Al the rest af you “boys” just really get a kick out of your self image as reporters from the war zone, that you don’t mind the fact that you don’t do your job, and really report what is really going on, and what your readers around the world can’t know unless you tell them.
You sad little man.
Pazit, Israel.
What kind of a reporter are you, if you ignore the fact that the hyzbolla has the reporters’ passports, and therefore the world doesn’t get any clear view about this war? you are all under terror and the only real reporter is Palmer. Al the rest af you “boys” just really get a kick out of your self image as reporters from the war zone, that you don’t mind the fact that you don’t do your job, and really report what is really going on, and what your readers around the world can’t know unless you tell them.
You sad little man.
Pazit, Israel.
Jara,
I don’t think anyone has said Hezbollah DOESN’T use people as shields. Look at what they did by firing rockets near a UN outpost. Same thing. Nobody seems to dispute they keep arms in peoples homes.
I also like how the Qana attack went from 50+ dead, and now to 28 once a more unbiased group did the counting. Muslim extremists are simple minded, so calling things a massacre and inflating civilian deaths and downplaying Hezbollah deaths is an easy way to win support from the loony bin.
Go Israel! Kick their asses!
Yes, you do that. Go to south Lebanon, and report only what the hezbollah lets you report. Since if you do otherwise, you’ll be in danger. You poor thing… which is worse? to be under a terror organization’s threats or to be a sad joke of a reporter?
Where did all the wingnut shills come from?
More on Malkin/”Qana Was Fake”:
[Link]
Brooklyn, would be my guess.
I see some Israeli have come here to critic the way the conflict is reported. or to sya bullshit like ‘go kick their asses’. But they seem to miss the fact that this blog is not affilitated with any media outlet! please, no extremists here!
Don’t Care Don’t Care Don’t Care
What has ceded land and withdrawn troops gotten Israel besides more rocket attacks, bombings, an elected government in Palestine (Hamas) who’s stated goal is the destruction of Israel and a government in Jerusalem that has allowed itself to be co-opted by terrorists.
Hopefully their latest actions mean Israel has recognized that they’ve been in war for years and not some border skirmish. I for one hope they’re able to antagonize Syria and Iran into active combat.
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